Guidelines for Submitting a Hazard Analysis Critical

Control Point (HACCP) Plan

Health-General Article, §21-321, Annotated Code of Maryland, and the Code of Maryland

Regulations (COMAR) 10.15.03 Food Service Facilities require that plans and specifications

be submitted to the Department when a person proposes to construct, remodel or alter a food

establishment, or convert or remodel an existing building for use as a food establishment. Plans

and specifications for the building and equipment, and information regarding the foods to be

prepared, processed, or manufactured are required. This information will be used to classify the

facility as high, moderate, or low priority. Definitions of priority assessment levels are found

in COMAR 10.15.03.33C.

A HACCP plan is required for all high or moderate priority facilities and must be updated and

approved by the approving authority every 5 years (from the date of last HACCP plan

approval), as well as, before a new process is implemented COMAR 10.15.03.34A. Facilities

selling only hand dipped ice cream or commercially packaged potentially hazardous foods

directly to consumer and non-potentially hazardous food that is cut, assembled or packaged on

the premise such as candy, popcorn and baked goods do not require a HACCP plan. The

following information is intended to assist you in providing the necessary information for both

priority assessment and HACCP plan development.

Contents

A. Priority Assessment Information (COMAR 10.15.03.33C)

B. General Food Handling Information and Procedures

C. HACCP Plan Required Contents (COMAR 10.15.03.33D, E and F)

D. HACCP Plan Formatting Instructions

E. Obtaining Maryland Retail “Food Service Facility” Regulations

F. Model HACCP Formats and Sample Written Employee Training

July 2016

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A. Priority Assessment Information

1. Menu or foods – Provide a copy of the menu or a written description of the foods to be prepared and

served

2. Food service system – Specify the food preparation and service systems you will use, i.e. cook-serve,

cook-chill-reheat-hot hold-serve, cold hold-serve.

3. Population served – Specify whether you will serve food in a health care facility, as defined in COMAR

10.15.03.02B(38).

B. Food Handling Information and Procedures (only required for facilities classified as “high” or

“moderate” priority per COMAR 10.15.03.33C):

Facility to comment on each of the following:

1. Describe how you will ensure all foods are obtained from approved sources per COMAR 10.15.03.02B(3).

2. Specify how you will ensure cross contamination from raw to cooked and/or ready to eat food will be

prevented per COMAR 10.15.03.09F.

3. Describe process for ensuring frozen potentially hazardous foods will be thawed in an approved manner per

COMAR 10.15.03.09D.

4. Indicate how potentially hazardous foods will be cooled (i.e. ice bath, shallow pans, rapid chill, etc) in

accordance with COMAR 10.15.03.11B.

5. List foods or categories of foods that will be prepared 24 hours or more in advance per COMAR

10.15.03.33C(3)(b)(i).

6. List foods that will be received pre-packaged commercially processed that will be reheated for hot holding;

7. Specify whether any prepared foods will be distributed off premises COMAR 10.15.03.06D

8. Specify whether any refrigerated foods are received which require storage temperatures below 41°F as per

COMAR 10.15.03.06B(9) and (10).

9. Indicate whether any special processing of foods will be conducted on site (i.e. Reduced Oxygen

Package/ROP, Sous Vide, Smoking, Curing, Fermenting, Dehydration, Sushi, etc.).

10. Include specific information for any processes or procedures which incorporate:

“Time-only” control (see COMAR 10.15.03.08)

“Pooling” of eggs (see COMAR 10.15.03.09C)

Serving raw or undercooked animal foods (see COMAR 10.15.03.10 C, D & F).

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C. HACCP Plan Required Contents COMAR 10.15.03.33E

The plan must include:

1. Identification of Critical Control Points (CCP): CCPs generally include cooking, cooling, reheating, cold

holding (when not followed by a kill step), and hot-holding, but other steps may be included, if needed

for a specific food. Note that cold food preparation, like chopping, mixing and slicing, are not CCP steps.

Hazards are controlled during those processes by following Good Retail Practices (GRPs); sometimes

referred to as Standard Operating Practices (SOPs);

2. Critical limits for each CCP;

3. Monitoring procedures for each CCP;

4. The corrective action(s) that will be taken if there is a loss of control at a CCP due to such factors as

employee error, equipment malfunction, power failure, or any other factor that causes loss of control at a

CCP;

5. Verification procedures, by a person in charge, will ensure proper monitoring of each CCP such as

calibration of cooking and holding equipment and thermometers, and maintenance and review of records

such as temperature logs. Using logs for record keeping is strongly encouraged but not required, as long

as the facility can demonstrate that temperatures are routinely monitored, as described in the HACCP plan,

and that specified corrective actions are taken when critical limits are not met;

6. A list of equipment used to support the proposed food service systems and maintain control at each CCP;

and

7. Written procedures for employee training on HACCP procedures (see attached example in section “F”).

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D. HACCP Plan Formatting Instructions

The HACCP plan for your facility should be developed in a format which is easy for your employees to

use (charts, diagrams, examples provided or another acceptable format that incorporates all the

requirements). Once approved, this document must be readily available in the food preparation area of

each facility. Examples of acceptable methods include:

1. Listing each CCP separately, with the menu item(s)s that utilize the CCP, the critical limit(s), monitoring

procedure(s), corrective action, verification method(s) for that CCP, and the equipment used to control the

CCP (see attached example #1);

2. Using a HACCP flow diagram and chart method for selected menu items or groups of menu items (see

attached example #2);

3. Incorporating each CCP and the monitoring, corrective action(s), and equipment used directly into the

recipe or preparation instructions (see attached example #3); or

4. Using the “Process Approach” as advocated by the US Food and Drug Administration. (See attached

example #4).

NOTE: For certain specialized processes, a process review completed by a process authority may be required

E. Obtaining Current Maryland Retail “Food Service Facility” Regulations (Current COMAR 10.15.03):

Visit the following link to access Maryland Division of State Documents

http://www.dsd.state.md.us/COMAR/SubtitleSearch.aspx?search=10.15.03

F. Model HACCP Plan Formats (Examples #1-4) and Sample Written Employee Training Procedure

(see following pages):

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Model HACCP Plan - Example #1

(shown for “Cooking” step)

Facility: ABC Restaurant Preparer: Don Smith Date: 00/00/00

CCP: COOKING (use one sheet per CCP)

Critical Limits: Foods are cooked to temperatures below for the specified time:

Shell eggs cooked for immediate service, fish, meat, and all other potentially hazardous food not

specified below cooked to 145°F for 15 seconds;

Shell eggs cooked other than for immediate service, ground fish and meats, commercially raised

game animals, and injected meats cooked to 155°F for 15 seconds;

Whole roasts (for rare roast beef) cooked to 130°F and held for at least 112 minutes;

Poultry; stuffed meat, stuffed pasta or poultry; or stuffing containing fish meat, or poultry cooked

to 165°F for 15 seconds;

Raw animal foods cooked to 165°F and held for 2 minutes, when using microwave oven for

cooking;

Fruits, vegetables for hot holding cooked to at least 135°F; and

Undercooked seared beefsteak cooked to 145° F for 15 seconds, must have a “cooked” color

change on surface, and regulatory approval of process used.

Monitoring: Internal product temperature of food is taken at completion of cooking time using a thermocouple with a metal probe.

Corrective Actions: If food has not reached required temperature for the specified time, continue cooking. Recheck temperature after additional cooking to make sure standard is reached.

Verification: Stipulate who (manager/cook/supervisor) will review cooking temperature logs.

(Note: An alternate method would be for the supervisor to visually observe that temperatures are

taken at the proper times and, if not satisfactory, food is not removed the cooking equipment

until the required time and temperature standards are met.)

Equipment: Oven, Range, metal stem probe/thermocouple

Menu items using this CCP:

Fried chicken (cook, hot hold, cool, prepare for salad, cold hold, serve) Macaroni and Cheese (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard) Mashed Potatoes (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard)

Rice (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard)

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Model HACCP Plan - Example #1 (Listing CCPs Separately)

(shown for “Cooling” step)

Facility: ABC Restaurant Preparer: Don Smith Date: 00/00/00

CCP: COOLING (use one per CCP)

Critical Limits:

Ready-to-eat potentially hazardous foods for cold service are cooled to an internal

temperature of 41ᵒF within 4 hours.

Cooked foods are cooled from 135F to 70 F within 2 hours and from 70F to 41F within an

additional 4 hours.

Monitoring:

Internal temperatures of ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food for cold service are taken

every 1.5 hours with a metal stem thermometer.

Internal product temperature of cooked foods are taken at 1.5 and 6 hours with a metal stem

thermometer.

Corrective Actions:

If ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food is >41ᵒF for more than 4 hours or if time out of

temperature is unverifiable, discard.

If cooked food is not ≤ 70F at 1.5 hours, food will be iced, stirred, and/or broken into smaller

containers. Recheck temperature in another .5 hours, If food not ≤ 70F, discard.

Cooked food that cooled properly in the first two hours but has not reached 41F within 6 hours

will be discarded.

Verification:

Supervisor will review cooling logs. (Note: An alternate method would be for the supervisor to

visually observe that temperatures are taken at the proper times and, if not taken or not

satisfactory, the corrective actions listed above are taken.)

Equipment:

Blast chiller, Walk-in cooler, metal stem probe/thermocouple

Menu items using this CCP:

Fried chicken (cook, hot hold, cool, prepare for salad, cold hold, serve)

Macaroni and Cheese (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard) Mashed Potatoes (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard) Rice (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard)

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HACCP Plan (Example #1 Form)

(shown for “Reheat” step)

Facility: ABC Restaurant Preparer: Don Smith Date: 00/00/00

CCP: REHEAT (use one per CCP)

Critical Limits:

*Commercially processed, hermetically sealed or intact packaged foods from a food processing

plant that is inspected by a food regulatory authority will first be reheated within 2 hours to a

minimum internal temperature of 135°F for 15 seconds, prior to hot holding.

Food that is cooked, cooled, and refrigerated will be reheated within 2 hours to a minimum

internal temperature of 165°F for 15 seconds prior to hot holding.

Monitoring:

Internal product temperature of food is taken every 30 minutes using a thermocouple with a

metal probe.

Corrective Actions:

If food has not reached required time and temperature within 2 hours, discard.

Verification:

Stipulate who (manager/cook/supervisor) will review cooking temperature logs. (Note: An

alternate method would be for the supervisor to visually observe that temperatures are taken and

if critical limit not satisfactorily met, appropriate corrective action is taken.)

Equipment:

Stove top, convection oven, metal stem probe/thermocouple

Menu items using this CCP:

*Rotisserie Chicken, *smoked turkey wings, *hot dogs, *canned green beans, *canned corn

(reheat, hot hold, serve or discard)

Fried Chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, rice (cook, hot hold, cool, reheat, hot hold, serve or discard)

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HACCP Plan (Example #1 Form)

Facility: Preparer: Date:

CCP:

CCP and Critical Limits:

Monitoring:

Corrective Actions:

Verification:

Equipment:

Menu items using this CCP:

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Model HACCP Plan - Example #2 (Chart Method)

Facility: ABC Restaurant Preparer: Don Smith Date: 00/00/00

Food Item(s): Chicken Noodle Soup

Flow diagram or descriptive narrative of the food preparation steps:

Cook chicken (CCP 1) -> Prepare soup -> Cook (CCP 1) -> Hot Hold (CCP 2) -> Cool (CCP 3) -> Reheat

(CCP 4) -> Hot Hold (CCP 2) -> Discard

HACCP Chart

Critical Control Points (CCP)

Monitoring Procedures

Corrective Action

CCP 1 Cook chicken to a minimum

internal temperature of 165F for

15 seconds.

Heat soup to a minimum of

165F for 15 seconds.

Check internal temperature Continue to cook until food

reaches 165F for 15 seconds.

CCP 2 Hot Hold soup at a minimum of

135F.

Check internal temperature of

the soup every 2 hours.

Rapidly reheat soup to 165F

for 15 seconds if verifiably out

of temperature for less than 4

hours. Discard if greater than 4

hours or time out of temperature

unverifiable.

CCP 3

Cool soup from 135F to 70F

within 2 hours, and from 70F

to 41F within an additional 4

hours.

Check internal temperature of

soup at 1.5 and six hours.

If soup has not reached 70F in

the first 1.5 hours, separate into

smaller containers and place in

freezer. Recheck temperature in

.5 hours-if not 70ᵒF or lower,

discard.

If soup cooled properly within

first 2 hours but has not cooled

to 41F or less within additional 4 hours, discard.

CCP 4 Reheat cooled soup, as needed,

to 165F for 15 seconds within

2 hours.

(Hot hold for service using CCP

2 above. Any soup remaining on

steam table at end of day will be discarded.)

Check internal temperature. Continue to reheat until food

reaches 165F for 15 seconds.

If desired temperature not

reached within 2 hours,

discard.

Verification: Supervisor will monitor temperature logs, and/or observe temperature monitoring and calibration

practices.

Equipment utilized at each Critical Control Point listed in above chart:

CCP 1: Oven, Range, metal stem probe/thermocouple

CCP 2: Soup wells on steam table, metal stem probe/thermocouple

CCP 3: Walk-in refrigerator, freezer, metal stem probe/thermocouple

CCP 4: Oven, Range, metal stem probe/thermocouple

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HACCP Plan (Example #2 Form)

Facility: Preparer: Date:

Food Item:

Flow diagram or descriptive narrative of the food preparation steps:

HACCP Chart

Critical Control Points

(CCP)

Monitoring Procedures

Corrective Action

Verification:

Equipment utilized at each Critical Control Point listed in above chart:

CCP 1:

CCP 2:

CCP 3:

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Model HACCP Plan - Example #3 (Recipe Method)

Facility: ABC Restaurant Preparer: Don Smith Date: 00/00/00

Menu Item: Hamburger Pie

Ingredient s Procedures CCP? Monitoring Procedure

Corrective Action Verification Procedures

10 lbs ground beef

Thaw meat in walk-in cooler

No

1 lb each Wash and dice. Use No onions, immediately or store

in

celery, green cooler. pepper. Shred cheese and

store in

2 pounds cooler until needed. American Cheese

¾ gallon Braise beef,

onions and peppers

on stove until the

mixture reaches

155F. Add

remaining

ingredients and

return pot to

155F.

Yes Monitor internal Continue cooking. Manager checks tomato soup, temperature

with thermometer calibration

2 tsp. stem log and observes

Worcestershire thermometer temperature monitoring

sauce,

periodically by employees.

2 T salt, 1 T

during cooking process

pepper 1 bag Prepare potatoes

according to No

Mashed directions on bag. Spread into

Potato pans. Top with beef mixture

Flakes and cheese.

Bake pie in convection oven

Yes Monitor

internal

temperature

with stem

thermometer

periodically

during cooking

process.

Continue cooking. Manager checks

thermometer

calibration log and

observes temperature

monitoring by

employees.

at 325F for approximately 1

hour, until internal temperature reaches 155F

for 15 seconds.

Place on steam table for hot

Yes Check product Discard if product found

Manager checks

holding at 135F. internal

temperature

hourly.

below 135F for

more than 4 hours.

If below 135F for less than 4 hours, rapidly reheat using

thermometer

calibration log and

observes temperature

monitoring by

employees.

procedure below.

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Cool by placing un-served

Yes Check product Use ice bath, stir and place

Manager observes

product in shallow pans with

internal food in smaller portions- if

procedure and reviews

product thickness of

no more than 2”. Cool

in blast chiller from 135F to 70F within 2

temperature

every 1.5

hours.

food has not

cooled to 70F

within 1.5 hours. Recheck temperature in

temperature logs.

hours, and from 70F to 41F within an additional 4 hrs.

another 0.5 hours. If food is not. ≤ 70F Discard.

Food that cooled properly

in the first two hours but

has not reached 41F

within 6 hours will be

discarded.

Reheat product in convection

Yes Check product Continue cooking or

Manager checks

oven to 165F for

15 seconds, within 2 hours.

internal

temperature

discard if desired temperature not

reached within 2

hours.

thermometer calibration log and observes

temperature monitoring

by employees.

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HACCP Plan (Example #3 Form)

Facility: Preparer: Date:

Menu Item:

Ingredients Procedures CCP? Monitoring Procedure

Corrective Action Verification Procedures

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HACCP Plan - Example #4 (Process Approach)

Source- 2013 FDA Model Food Code, Annex 4, Section 4(C)

Most food items produced in a retail food service establishment can be categorized into one of three preparation

processes based on the number of times the food passes through the temperature danger zone between 41°F and

135°F:

Process 1: Food Preparation with No Cook Step, sample flow: Receive –> Store –> Prepare –> Hold

–> Serve (other food flows are included in this process, but there is no cook step to destroy pathogens)

Process 2: Preparation for Same Day Service, sample flow: Receive –> Store –> Prepare – > Cook –

> Hold –> Serve (other food flows are included in this process, but there is only one trip through the

temperature danger zone)

Process 3: Complex Food Preparation, sample flow: Receive –> Store –> Prepare –> Cook –> Cool

–> Reheat –> Hot Hold –> Serve (other food flows are included in this process, but there are always two

or more complete trips through the temperature danger zone)

A summary of the three food preparation processes in terms of number of times through the temperature danger

zone can be depicted in a Danger Zone diagram. Although foods produced using process 1 may enter the danger

zone, they do not pass all the way through it. Foods that go through the danger zone only once are classified as

Same Day Service, while foods that go through more than once are classified as Complex food preparation.

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Model HACCP Plan - Example #4 (Sample Charts)

Facility: ABC Restaurant Preparer: Don Smith Date: 00/00/00

Process #1, Food Preparation with no Cook Step

Menu Items: Tuna and Chicken Salads, Cold Meat Sandwiches, Cut Melons

CCP Procedures and

equipment

Monitoring Corrective Action Verification

Cool in walk-in

refrigerator at 41F or

below within 4 hours, keep in cold storage at 41F or below until service

Check internal

product temperature

with a metal stem

probe at 2 and 4

hours.

Use ice bath if food has not

cooled to 41F within 2

hours. Discard product that does not reach 41F within 4 hours..

Manager review of

temperature

monitoring

practices and

calibration logs

Cold hold at 41F or

below in sandwich prep

unit until service.

Check internal product

temperature every 2

hours with a metal

stem probe.

Discard product that is

found out of temperature

for more than 4 hours, (or if

time out of temperature cannot be determined).

Manager review of

temperature

monitoring

practices and

calibration logs

Process #2, Food Preparation for Same Day Service (Refrigerated storage per Process #1)

Menu Items: Baked Chicken, Ground Beef, Whole muscle steak, Fish Filets, Cooked Vegetables

CCP Procedures and

equipment

Monitoring Corrective Action Verification

Cook (oven, stovetop, grill, or

fryer) to:

Chicken 165F for 15

seconds Ground Beef 155F

for 15 seconds Whole

muscle meat, fish 145F for

15 seconds Vegetables 135ᵒF

Cooks take random

internal final cook

temperatures with

metal stem probe.

Continue cooking until

final required cook

temperature is

achieved.

Manager

review of

production logs

Hot hold on steam table at

135F or higher. (Any food

left on the steam table at the

end of the day will be discarded).

Check product internal

temperature every 2

hours with metal stem

probe.

Rapidly reheat food to

165F, if food is out of

temperature

<4hours.

Discard food if out of

temperature >4 hours.

Manager review of

temperature

monitoring practices

or logs

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Process #3, Complex Food Preparation (Cold store per Process #1, cook and hot hold per Process #2)

Menu Items: Soups, Lasagna, Meatballs

CCP Procedures and equipment Monitoring Corrective Action Verification

Place un-served product in

shallow pans with product

thickness of no more than 2”

Cool in walk-in refrigerator

from 135F to 70F within 2

hours, and from 70F to 41F

within an additional 4 hours.

Check internal

temperature of

food at 1.5 and

6 hours with

metal stem

probe.

If product has not reached 70ᵒF

in the first 1.5 hours, separate

into smaller containers and

place in freezer.

Recheck temperature in .5

hours. If temp is above 70ᵒF-

discard. If cooled properly in first 2 hours but food has not reached 41F within 4 additional hours, discard.

Manager review of

temperature

monitoring practices

or logs.

Reheat food in convection oven or *microwave to 165F for 15 seconds, within 2 hours.

(Hot hold for service using

Process 2 above. Any soup

remaining on steam table at end of

day will be discarded.)

Check internal

food

temperature

with metal stem

probe.

Continue to reheat within 2

hours until 165F for 15

seconds, is reached. If desired

time and temperature not

reached within 2 hours-

discard. (*using microwave

reheat to desired temp. stir, cover, and let stand for 2 minutes)

Manager

review of

production logs

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HACCP Plan (Example #4 Forms)

Facility: Preparer: Date:

Process #1, Food Preparation with no Cook Step

Menu Items:

CCP Procedures Monitoring Corrective Action Verification

Process #2, Food Preparation for Same Day Service

Menu Items:

CCP Procedures Monitoring Corrective Action Verification

Process #3, Complex Food Preparation

Menu Items:

CCP Procedures Monitoring Corrective Action Verification

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WRITTEN PROCEDURES FOR EMPLOYEE HACCP TRAINING

(SAMPLE)

All employees will be trained to use the approved HACCP plan prior to beginning

employment and periodically after that. Training will include identification of the processes

that are critical control points, how these processes will be monitored, and what corrective

actions must be taken when critical controls are violated. The approved HACCP plan will be

available in the food preparation area at all times.

Food temperature logs* will be used to monitor product temperatures during the

preparation process. These completed logs will be maintained in the food preparation area, and

held for review by management, as part of the HACCP monitoring system.

Training in basic sanitation will include hand washing procedures and methods for

cleaning and sanitizing utensils, equipment, and food preparation surfaces. All employees will

be trained to use and calibrate a metal stem thermometer, and will be required to check and re-

calibrate thermometers weekly.

*Note- Use of logs for record keeping is strongly encouraged but not required, as long as the

facility can demonstrate that temperatures are routinely monitored, as described in the HACCP

plan, and that the specified corrective actions are taken when critical limits are not met.